Feasibility of extracting V-td from radiative B(B-s) decays

We use experimental information on D- --> K*(0) rho(-) and B --> psi + K*, coupled with flavor independence of QCD, and with vector meson dominance to show that long-distance contributions to B --> rho + gamma, especially B- --> rho(-) + gamma, are potentially very serious. Estimates based on the annihilation graph are shown to lead to similar conclusions. We emphasize that long-distance (LD) contributions can be appreciably different in B- --> rho(-) + gamma and B-0 --> rho(0) (omega) + gamma. All radiative decays of B, B-s are shown to be governed essentially by two LD and two short-distance (SD) hadronic entities. Despite the presence of considerable LD contributions, we show how separate measurements of B- --> rho(-) + gamma, B-0 --> rho(0) (omega) + gamma, along with the B --> --> K* + gamma can be used for a systematic extraction of V-td. Measurements of B-s --> phi + gamma and K*(0) + gamma could also provide very useful consistency checks.